Except Eisenhower made those statements under the specific context of economic situation just after WW2, which revitalized the American economy after the great

Except Eisenhower made those statements under the specific context of economic situation just after WW2, which revitalized the American economy after the great depression. At the height of WW2 the United States was spending over 40% of its GDP on defense. Given that WW2 did wonders for the American economy, it would be legitimately tempting for contemporaries to think that another war would be a good idea in an economic slump. That is what Eisenhower was warning against. >Obama in his 2016 State of the Union The Armed forces he spoke of were a result of decades of investments of previous administrations. Obama's oversaw one of the most draconian defunding of the DoD in decades. The sequestration of the DoD budget cuts was devastating to readiness and has left the United States vulnerable for the 2020s. The PLA has grown at truly incredible speed since then. It now outnumbering the USN in the number of vessels. At the same time, the USN is retiring more ships than it's building. The United States is on track to lose a Taiwan Flashpoint.